Epidemiological and genomic features of chikungunya virus disease in travellers returning from Cuba, September 2025 to January 2026: a GeoSentinel analysis

Eurosurveillance 2026 Open access

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Authors: Marta Díaz-Menéndez, Concetta Castilletti, Kevin O’Laughlin, Oula Itani, Hilmir Ásgeirsson, Ana Vázquez González, Francesca F. Norman, Cecilia Perret, Camilla Rothe, Michela Deiana, Simone Malagò, Victor Max Corman
+18 more Gabriela Equihua Martinez, Sami Alcedo, Eva Clark, Silvia Odolini, Daniel Camprubi Ferrer, Federico Giovanni Gobbi, Davidson H. Hamer, Carsten Schade Larsen, Claudia Beisel, Obinna N. Nnedu, Diana Pou Ciruelo, Graciela Rodriguez Sevilla, Fernando de la Calle-Prieto, Hannah Emetulu, Michael Libman, Milan Trojánek, Stephen D. Vaughan, Ralph Huits
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2026.31.16.2600286
Cited by: 1
References: 16

Abstract

During September 2025–January 2026, 111 travellers (61 female/50 male; median age: 53 years) who acquired chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Cuba were reported to GeoSentinel. Upon return, 64.2% (70/109) were potentially viraemic. Only 8.2% (9/98) had received pre-travel consultations. The CHIKV was of East-Central-South Africa genotype, closely related to Brazilian strains. International travellers can serve as arboviral outbreak sentinels and, if viraemic, risk introducing CHIKV into areas with established Aedes spp. vectors. Their effective surveillance can trigger adequate public health responses.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Mosquito-borne diseases and control Travel-related health issues Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research

Publication details

Journal / source
Eurosurveillance
Publisher
European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC)
Volume
31
Issue
16
Publication date
23 April 2026
Language
EN